This invention relates generally to smoke detector systems having a base unit and multiple satellite units. More particularly, this invention relates to a smoke detector system wherein the base unit has a detection means and a radio frequency transmitter; and the multiple satellite units have a radio frequency receiver and one of a laser cannon, a speaker, a strobe light, and a wireless camera.
Smoke detectors are well known in the prior art; and two examples of modern smoke alarms are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,244 to Bellavia, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,960 to Meili. Typically, smoke detectors simply provide an audible alarm to alert people nearby that there is a fire.
Improved smoke detectors not only sound an alarm when smoke is detected, they also activate powerful lights or flashing strobes to help direct people to an exit. Frank, U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,376, for example, discloses the use of powerful flashing Xenon lamps to pierce smoke and direct people to the exit. Other examples of this technology are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,023 to Elkin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,155 to Skarman, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,115 to Cota. While these devices can be useful in some circumstances, the flashing incandescent lights can tend to daze and confuse rather than direct, especially in a smoky room where it may not be apparent where the flashes of light are originating. Furthermore, intense flashing lights destroy night vision, often causing more harm than good to confused people trying to escape a dark building.
Cota, U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,115, further discloses the use of a redundant circuit that is activated by a central audio alarm to trigger the smoke alarm and slashing circuits.
Sweeney, U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,183, discloses a device that sweeps a laser beam across a plurality of mirrors. Each mirror directs the laser beam into the floor at a different location, thereby “walking” that apparent laser beam towards an exit. Watanabe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,301, discloses, a centrally controlled network that generates a laser which is guided and oscillated by a controlling mirror.
Kelly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,251, discloses a smoke detector that includes a pulsed laser in a single housing with the detection means. The pulsed laser is mounted on a laser pointing means which allows for pointing the laser in multiple directions.
None of the prior art devices teach a two-device system where one device contains the detecting means and a radio transmitter and the second and subsequent devices contain a radio receiver and an alert means, i.e., a laser cannon, a speaker, a strobe light, or a wireless camera.
Accordingly, a two-device system is needed which allows for greater variation and configuration of the system and breadth of coverage by the system. In single device systems that are not networked, detectors in different locations in the structure may not become activated at the same time thereby presenting a danger to those people in locations where the stand alone device has not yet been activated. In contrast, multiple device systems employing radio frequency transmitters and receivers may be configured to activate all alert means simultaneously when any single device detects a hazard. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.